Quite a handful! Discovery of 8ft carpet python and its nest of baby snakes closes Australian nursery
- A nursery in Darwin, Australia, was closed after family of pythons found
- Nest of 23 baby snakes and their 8ft mother discovered behind wall
- Wildlife ranger said snakes were non-venomous, but adult could deliver a 'decent sort of gash'
Handful: Wildlife ranger Steve Coulson takes hold of baby snakes which were found in the childcare centre
A childcare centre had to be closed after a family of pythons was discovered behind a wall in a room where toddlers take their afternoon nap.
The nest of 23 baby pythons and their 8ft long mother was discovered in the nursery, in Darwin, in Australia's remote Northern Territory, as a partition wall was torn down.
The search began after one of the baby snakes stuck its head out of the wall at the Mitchell Street Childcare Centre.
A wildlife ranger was quickly called by terrified staff as they made the shocking discovery.
Director of the centre Louise DeBomford said 41 egg shells were also discovered, but it was believed a few of the babies escaped.
She said: 'After a bit more of the wall was torn down, we found the mother - she was two-and-a-half metres long. So it was quite a shock to everyone.'
Ms DeBomford said the mother was reluctant to leave her babies:
She said: 'They were feisty and not too happy to leave their warm nest.
'There was a baby snake in the room yesterday morning - I thought there would have to be more than one because we had an inundation of snakes last year, about the same time.
'Then we had about 14 of them, so they must like our building.'
On that occasion, the snakes fell down through the ceiling and a nest was discovered in the roof.
The centre had to be closed as wildlife range Steve Coulson was called in to remove the snakes.
He said: 'The eggs were the size of plums, and were in clumps like grapes.
'The babies went in one sack, while a bigger sack had to be fetched for the python mum.'
Snake eyes: The baby pythons were discovered after one poked its head out of the wall
Slippery customer: Stephannie Dean of Larrakeyah and her two sons Carlos and Benji have a look at the snake found behind the wall
Mr Coulson said the baby pythons, found on December 20, were 'pretty harmless' and while the adult snake could deliver a 'decent sort of gash', it was non-venomous.
He said carpet pythons were common around Darwin, and often found food and shelter in roofs.
'They eat possums and rats,' he said.
Staff are now keeping a lookout for about eight baby pythons believed to be still somewhere in the building.
Careful handling: Mr Coulson said the snakes were non-venomous, although the adult snake could deliver a 'decent sort of gash'
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